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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (24 May) . . Page.. 1711 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

I see some merit perhaps in mandatory sentencing for very serious offences and, as Mr Hargreaves mentioned, in effect we have mandatory sentencing for PCA and traffic matters. That is not necessarily the same as they have in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Our position has been that the governments of Western Australia and the Northern Territory are democratically elected governments. They have made their decision regardless of what we think, and there is very little we can effectively do. I do not think we would particularly like it if they started butting into what we had done, whatever the rights and wrongs of it. However, we have had that argument and our sentiments have been passed on as a result of that motion.

I come now the stolen generation and reconciliation. As the Chief Minister has noted, the government cannot support this motion, although clearly we do support reconciliation. The Chief Minister has indicated today and on numerous other occasions that this government is committed unreservedly to the process of reconciliation. The government reaffirms its support here today, and will do so nationally at Corroboree 2000 in Sydney on Saturday, which event the Chief Minister is attending.

I mentioned in the earlier debate on indigenous education the comments made by Matilda House on the efforts of my department towards reconciliation. I mentioned a very good day at Macgregor Primary School celebrating Aboriginal culture. Members of the Aboriginal community participated in activities with the students. Mr Ben Blakeney, well known to members for his boomerang throwing, donated 400 boomerangs to the school and showed the kids how to paint them. He and his colleague who was there with him are both ex-servicemen who fought in Vietnam. Mr Blakeney's service goes back to the confrontation. Both he and his colleague fought in the infantry corps. I do not think you can ask more of any citizen than that they put themselves in a situation where they might lay down their life for their country.

Mr Hird: He could have been in ordnance.

MR STEFANIAK: It would have been a bit tricky there, but he might have been a bit safer there. Serving in the infantry corps as these two gentlemen did is about the most you can then ask of any citizen. These great guys were doing a wonderful job. There were also some younger Aboriginal people there doing a wonderful job with dance. They had about six or seven different stands, teaching the kids of the school, including some kids of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background, about Aboriginal culture. I mentioned that earlier. That is another example of the government reaffirming its support for the process of reconciliation and getting all Australians together as Australians.

The government is pleased that the Council for Reconciliation will be launching its documents for reconciliation at the national event on the weekend. We are keen to take a good look at those documents, to understand the implications for the ACT and to take whatever steps are necessary and appropriate for the ACT in furthering the reconciliation process. These are important documents. They deserve proper attention and not a rushed or hasty disposal. One of the many steps on the path to reconciliation is to acknowledge the hurt and distress caused by the forced separation of families and to address the issues raised in the Bringing them home report, which we have done and will continue to do.

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